Effects of Chitosan and Cellulose Derivatives on Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose-Based Films: A Study of Rheological Properties of Film-Forming Solutions

Abstract

Bio-based packaging materials and efficient drug delivery systems have garnered attention in recent years. Among the soluble cellulose derivatives, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) stands out as a promising candidate due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability, and wide resources. However, CMC-based films have limited mechanical properties, which hinders their widespread application. This paper aims to address this issue by exploring the molecular interactions between CMC and various additives with different molecular structures, using the rheological method. The additives include O-carboxymethylated chitosan (O-CMCh), N-2-hydroxypropyl-3-trimethylammonium-O-carboxymethyl chitosan (HTCMCh), hydroxypropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan (HACC), cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), and cellulose nanofibers (CNF). By investigating the rheological properties of film-forming solutions, we aimed to elucidate the influencing mechanisms of the additives on CMC-based films at the molecular level. Various factors affecting rheological properties, such as molecular structure, additive concentration, and temperature, were examined. The results revealed that the interactions between CMC and the additives were dependent on the charge of the additives. Electrostatic interactions were observed for HACC and HTCMCh, while O-CMCh, CNC, and CNF primarily interacted through hydrogen bonds. Based on these rheological properties, several systems were selected to prepare the films, which exhibited excellent transparency, wettability, mechanical properties, biodegradability, and absence of cytotoxicity. The desirable characteristics of these selected films demonstrated the strong biocompatibility between CMC and chitosan and cellulose derivatives. This study offers insights into the preparation of CMC-based food packaging materials with specific properties.

Antibacterial Activity of Modified Sesbania Gum Composite Film and Its Preservation Effect on Wampee Fruit (Clausena lansium (Lour.) Skeels)

“…Because CMC is also a linear long-chain molecule, the number of linear structures in the composite film per unit volume increases with an increase in its content. CMC increases the thickness of the composite film, thereby leading to an increase in its TS [ 11 , 14 ]. In addition, the fluidity between molecular chains is enhanced by the intertwining between CMC molecules and OSG molecular chains, inducing increased flexibility and EAB of the composite film.…”

“…Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) is a water-soluble cellulose derivative [ 10 ]. Because of its non-toxicity, easy water solubility, biocompatibility, and other advantages, CMC serves as a good polymer film-forming material [ 11 , 12 , 13 ]. The CMC-based film has good tensile strength.…”